


Intensive Cute Unit

by Daxii



Category: Free!
Genre: FreeSS2015, M/M, little angst, paediatrician!Sousuke, sick kid Rin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 02:05:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5521445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daxii/pseuds/Daxii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paediatrician Sousuke strikes up a nice little friendship with the kid who staffs the canteen on his night shifts, and they end up working the Christmas shift together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Intensive Cute Unit

There's something distinctly odd about taking what's supposed to be a "lunch" break at three in the morning. Although, Sousuke had his breakfast at nine last night, so he's definitely getting peckish. His midnight snack has completely worn off.

But at least the canteen is relatively empty. Everyone seeks solitude at this time anyway, always sitting several tables away from the nearest person. There's a few other staff and the odd parent or relative taking a break, but other than that, it's quiet.

The lone server behind the counter is a kid Sousuke hasn't seen before. He's maybe a couple of years younger than him, but definitely a few steps closer to exhaustion.

He smirks as he walks up with his sandwich. "First night?"

"Mm," he looks up and his name-tag just says Momo. "Pays a little extra, for the holidays," he says, sleepy, followed by a yawn.

Sousuke puts his sandwich in front of the till and blinks. Has he missed the free-food memo? Is this guy just lost? He tries to pull a stern face to hurry the service along, but it's probably not that impressive when he's wearing a hat with chibi kittens on it.

"Oh!" Momo suddenly perks up. "Sorry! Can I take your card?"

Sousuke nods and hands over their staff payment card and Momo swipes it, deducting the prepaid credits.

"Enjoy!" he chirps, and then before Sousuke's even turned away, he's leaning back on his elbows in an exhausted daze.

"Go and make yourself a coffee, kid. You'll get used to it."

 

It's a few days later when Sousuke comes for a break after a particularly heavy half hour with a family, and Momo seems to be adjusting. He's whizzing around behind the deli counter, organising and touching up (probably out of boredom) and his face lights up when he see's Sousuke at the desk, bouncing over on legs too long and slim for the rest of him.

"G _oooo_ d morning!" he sings, taking Sousuke's card from his outstretched hand. "Anything else I can get you?"

"Uh... strong coffee, if you don't mind," Sousuke says.

"Rough night?" Sousuke just nods. "Paeds? I mean... the hat..."

"Yeah," Sousuke huffs a laugh and touches his head cover. "Kinda glad they couldn't find a vest to fit me."

"But it suits you! Makes you look less..."

"Less what?"

"Intimidating?" Momo adds, suddenly sheepish.

Sousuke rolls his eyes, unable to form the frown he'd planned. "Nah. I'm nothing compared to the matron."

Momo's eyes go wide, and then he breaks down in giggles over his desk. "Reminds me of our school nurse way back when! I was boarding, and I was on the swim team and I tried a little hair removal... you know... and her _face_ when me, fifteen and scrawny and bawling my eyes out, showed up and..."

"I can imagine," Sousuke offers a smile, but it does nothing to stop Momo turning bright red with his embarrassment. "No permanent damage?"

"Nah. I was just being a baby. My brother's never let me live it down though!"

Sousuke smiles to himself as he goes to sit down with his food and drink. A weird sense of _relief_ that the world's still turning outside of the ICU.

 

Sousuke picks up the clipboard hanging off the end of the cot, making sense of all the notes and figures, frowning at the ones that are too high or too low.

"I think we'll do another MRI tomorrow, just to see how things are progressing. And while she's asleep we can redo the biopsy?" he announces to the nurse at his side, looking for a nod of agreement, and then looks to the child's mother sitting silently at the top of the cot.

She doesn't say anything, just looks at him with nothing but fear.

"Have you been holding her? There's some research that says physical contact can really help with recovery. And it might help you, too."

"She's so tiny... I don't want to hurt her. And all those tubes..."

"You've got Haru here to help you whenever you want. Here, let's let her have some bedtime cuddles. Haru?"

The nurse steps forward to the mother's side while Sousuke drops the side of the cot and picks up the little girl. She wriggles as she wakes, looking up at him with bright, focused eyes, and he brings her up to his chest, bouncing her just a little to help her relax. Haru maneuvers her breathing and feeding tubes around the back of the chair and stops the IV line from getting trapped while Sousuke sets her into her mother's arms, and then they sort out the wires to her heart monitor so there's enough slack for mum to adjust her comfortably.

Sousuke checks all the screens, and she's fine. "Just half an hour," he tells Haru, so they can get her back under her lights.

It's a good start to his shift, after all the worry they've had over this little patient. She seems to be doing well, and he's hopeful for a good recovery.

He hears babble from another of the rooms and peeks in, seeing little Rin bouncing around the crib he's almost too tall for.

"And I thought little boys were meant to be asleep at this time," he puts on a false tone of exasperation that just makes the little boy's face light up. He knows he's being cheeky.

Sousuke holds onto one of his hands through the bars as he drops the side of the crib, and then lets Rin latch onto him in a tight hold, supporting him with one arm as he gets them seated into the chair, reaching for a book. It's the little things, like seeing Rin realise what's happening and calming down to get comfortable, just those subtle little ticks that show how his brain activity is doing better than a screen ever can. He removes his helmet, designed to protect his head during his all too regular seizures, knowing he's safe in his lap for a few minutes. He reads him a Christmas story with the hopes he'll fall asleep, but at four years old he's just got too much energy to be cooped up in a hospital most of the day, with his round the clock monitoring.

"We'll have to see about getting you some time at home over the holidays."

"Gou," Rin says.

"Yep. I bet your little sister's been missing you all this time. But if you don't go to sleep, you'll be too tired, won't you?"

Rin's trying to comprehend, picking up on certain words, but Sousuke knows he knows "sleep". He points at his crib.

"Good boy. Let's get your hat back on and change your bum, and then it's sleep time, okay?"

Rin babbles to himself but cooperates easily, even though he's a little reluctant to be laid down on his pillow, holding onto Sousuke's sleeve. Sousuke can't even imagine how lonely it must be, how boring. He hands him his shark plushy and pulls the cover up to his neck. It's a soft fleece blanket from home rather than the standard, scratchy hospital sheets. He'll have one of the nurses check on him again soon.

It's a pretty quiet night. The regular patients are (mostly, Rin) settled and sleeping and there are no new emergencies to deal with. He helps the nurses with the round the clock care, and while he's not busy gets to spend a little extra time with the patients, and get some more detailed reads on their latest tests and charts.

Nurse Aiichiou leans over his desk and sighs. "Rin's still not settled. I know you're going on your break soon, but he likes you most. I think he's slept a little, but he's definitely fighting it."

Sousuke nods and thinks to himself. "I might take him with me. The canteen's always quiet at this time anyway. It'll wear him out a bit."

Rin's face lights up when Sousuke comes back to his room, arms already spread to wrap around his neck when Sousuke drops the side of the crib. He's dislodged his nappy with all the wriggling around, so needs a clean dry onesie anyway. He wears them back to front so he can't get his own zipper down run around like a little naked demon. The bright green on this one next to his red hair makes him look like Christmas.

There are locked doors to each new corridor and room, so Sousuke can let Rin run up and down as much as he likes, but he picks him up and onto his hip when they get into the canteen.

"Do you want some juice?" he asks, picking up a bottle anyway. "Hold that, good boy."

He balances his sandwich and a bottle of soda for himself in the other hand and makes it to the desk. Momo's grinning at him.

"And who's this?" he asks, reaching out to shake Rin's hand. "Can I have your bottle to scan it?"

Sousuke extracts the juice for him and hands everything over. "This is Rin. Little firecracker doesn't want to go to sleep."

"Ohhh, so you're taking him on a little adventure, huh?"

"Something like that."

Sousuke hands over his card and slips it back into his pocket before he tries to get hold of their food again, but Momo bats his hand away.

"I'll bring it over," he says, putting it all on a tray and following Sousuke to his chosen table by a window. Rin stares at the streetlights outside, pointing at the cars going down the main road. "We have sippy-cups and bibs if you want them?"

"Uh, yes please, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all."

Momo's back within a minute and takes the liberty of filling the sippy cup half way full with juice, and looks at Sousuke for permission to snap the disposable bib into place.

"You're so good, Rin-Rin!" he coos, crouching down on Rin's level and getting his attention. "Do you like apple juice?"

Rin sips at it away, swinging his legs and babbling. Momo checks on his counter, and there's no one there, so he slips in next to Rin.

"Am I allowed to ask what's...?" he looks at Rin, with his helmet and the healing scar on his hand from his IV, "he seems so... healthy?"

"Epilepsy. He's doing really well, though."

"Can he not go home?"

"He still needs monitoring. We're struggling to get the right balance of meds for him. But soon, hopefully. I think he wants to sit on your knee."

"Is that allowed? For like... insurance and stuff... I don't want to get sued or get you in trouble or anything...?"

Sousuke just shrugs. "It's good for him. You can talk to him. He understands more than what he can say."

"Yeah?" Momo lets Rin get comfortable in his lap, seated sideways and leaning on him. "Are you getting anything nice for Christmas, Rin-Rin? When I was your age, me and my brother got this big robot dinosaur, and we made it chase our sister around for _aaaages_."

"Sounds like you were a menace. You wouldn't do that to your sister, would you, Rin?"

Rin turns at his name but then he's gone, eyes rolling back and body stiffening and shuddering. Sousuke pushes the tray aside and reaches out, taking him from Momo who's just frozen in panic and laying him down in the recover position on the table.

"He's seizing. He's ok. Can you hold him while I get his pen?" Sousuke instructs, guiding Momo's hands to help keep Rin from falling off.

He doesn't thrash violently like he used to, to Sousuke's relief, but it's still a fiddly task to pull the zip on his onesie down and shift it aside so he can inject his leg. Sousuke takes over and pulls him close to his chest when his body relaxes, letting his head loll on his shoulder, rocking him in his arms when he starts to cry.

"Do you need me to call for a nurse?" Momo asks, but he's shaking slightly, eyes wavering as he holds back his own tears and fear.

"No, he's fine. Calm down," Sousuke shifts Rin into one arm and reaches out the other, finding Momo's hand to give a reassuring squeeze. "I thought it could happen if he got a little excited. But this is just how it goes, now... Are you okay?"

"That must be so hard..."

"Wouldn't wish it on anyone."

Momo laughs when Rin bounces back, smiling away in Sousuke's lap and reaching for his juice like nothing's happened. Sousuke manages to eat around him, letting Rin have a little piece of bread from his fingers when he looks curious, and it's an amusing battle to keep him from grabbing the soda.

"This is why I got drinks with lids," Sousuke huffs, raising both hands in the air to screw the cap back on out of Rin's reach. "He's a little monster."

 

Sousuke throws his stained scrubs into the basket for cleaning, pulling some fresh ones out of his locker. He needs to wash his face and calm down. The door opens behind him, footsteps approaching.

"He's stable," Haru says, calm and bland. "You did a good job."

"Good."

"You alright?"

"Just... adrenaline, you know. That was..."

"Scary. Yeah. He was very lucky. You should take a break."

Sousuke can't agree more, but casts a worried glance at Haru. He's haggard too. "I'll take half of mine now, and then you."

He doesn't feel like he can eat yet anyway. His stomach is tight, doing flips, but his throat is too dry to not go and get a drink. He gets an isotonic juice and slams it on the counter a little too hard.

Momo frowns at him. "You alright? Is this it?"

"Fine. Yeah."

He scans it and swipes Sousuke's card silently, but he's slow handing it back. "No little guests with you today?"

Sousuke shakes his head. "I've not even been to see Rin yet tonight..."

"I figured. I know there was an emergency... everyone who's been in has been talking about it. Six cars?"

"Only one kid. I guess I had it pretty easy."

"And they're...?"

"I'm not allowed to say." Momo's face falls, fearing the worst. "But it was close. He'll live."

"Go and sit down. You've earned your break."

"Thanks."

Sousuke finds an armchair that faces away from the rest of the room, seeking solitude to unwind and get his thoughts together. He goes through the surgery in his head, checking for any steps he might have missed or anything he should have checked or double checked, but he manages to satisfy himself and takes some of his drink.

The clink of a plate on the table in front of him brings him out of his stupor. There's a couple of cookies on it, and Momo standing up with a little blush on his cheeks.

"Didn't want you going back on an empty stomach. Figured you could use the sugar."

"Good call," Sousuke nods. Momo looks at the chair next to him, and Sousuke nods again. He's glad for the company.

"I was training to be a paramedic, you know."

"What happened? You've got the right attitude for it."

"We went to a car accident. I was only running back and forth for supplies for the other guys, but there was this little kid... thrown through the windscreen and onto the embankment. We didn't even know she'd been in the car until her dad started shouting for her and we saw her empty car-seat. I guess she wasn't strapped in properly. I knew she wouldn't survive when we went looking, and I was the one who found her... and then I quit. I couldn't handle it. You do such a tough job. Thank you."

There are little tears rolling down Momo's cheeks as he talks and Sousuke dries them instinctively, cupping his cheek.

"Hey. You tried. And you do a pretty good job here, looking after us. Some of the stuff makes me never want to have kids. But then there's little Rin, when he learns a new word or he doesn't have a seizure all night..."

Sousuke moves his hand to Momo's giving him a squeeze while he calms down. "Sorry," Momo sniffs. "I was going to try and say something more encouraging. I didn't mean to come at you with a sob story."

"It's very touching," Sousuke soothes. "And it's nice to have someone who understands. Thank you."

They hug when Sousuke has to leave and Momo has to go back to the counter. Momo's so sincere, yet so spunky. He feels like he could have a good laugh with him, in another kind of situation, or at least talk more. Sousuke doesn't have much time to socialise, the nightshifts not lending themselves well to interacting with his friends, and he guesses Momo's the same.

 

Sousuke's only running on about four hours sleep, but he wants to get to the hospital in the afternoon to say a goodbye to Rin and give his family a Christmas card. He'll be back in January, but it's still a big step. He's not expecting to see Momo leaving as he arrives, looking distinctly upset.

"Momo?" he asks. "Hey, Momo," he calls a little louder and catches him by the arm. "Don't tell me you've been here all night?"

"Oh... no. My, uh... my Gran came in this morning. My family told me to go home and get some sleep, but..."

"They're right, you know. I know it's hard. I'm only going up to see Rin for a few minutes - he's going home today - but I can drive you?"

"Thanks. Don't really wanna face the bus right now. Can I come...?"

"Sure, sure. He's been here so long, I'm gonna miss him."

They reach the elevator, standing side by side, and Momo becomes visibly nervous when they get to the paediatric floor.

"Relax. It's a happy place."

Rin is already bouncing around his room. He doesn't understand what's going on, but he can feel the positive vibes and he's excited from them. He's properly dressed and with shoes on, even though he'll be strapped into the buggy his parents have brought along anyway. He's too difficult to control to risk letting him loose in the car park.

"Hey, Rin. Big day for you, huh?" he greets, and turns to his parents to give them the card, handing it to Gou in her dad's arms."This is Momo... he works down in the canteen. Rin's met him once or twice."

"I just wanted to say goodbye," Momo tacks on the end, shaking hands.

Sousuke scoops Rin up for a hug, letting Momo come up a little closer to say an awkward farewell. "You're not allowed this until Christmas, all right?" Sousuke says, giving Rin a small box and letting him hold it for a moment before passing it on to his mum. "It's just a little thing."

Rin babbles as Sousuke straps him into his pushchair, and the little family leave together as a unit for the first time in months. Even Momo's got a smile back on his face.

"They all seem pretty happy," he comments as they go to the car.

"Rin's been in for six weeks, so it's kind of a big deal."

"Will he ever be able to talk or anything?"

"Don't know at this point, but he's so clever. We'll just have to see. Here, the green one."

They both buckle in, Sousuke throwing his bag and coat through the space between them to the back seat, and Momo just putting his in the footwell.

"Now, where are we off to?"

Momo gives the directions, and it's not really far and not out of Sousuke's way, but Momo's reluctant when it comes to getting out of the car.

"Do you want... my number, or anything?" Sousuke offers. "You can text me, if you need to...With your Gran and everything. I hope she'll be alright."

"Yes, actually," Momo says, quickly. "That'd be really nice. She had a stroke last year and she's been sick, so... but I don't think it's too serious. It's just hard."

And then he blushes, this little tint on the apples of his cheeks that stop Sousuke in his tracks for a second.

He fumbles for a business card, a little embarrassed at his own professionalism, but it's easier than messing with phones.

"When's your shift? I could pick you up?"

"Ten till six."

"Same. I'll see you then, all right?"

Sousuke reaches out and hugs Momo with one arm, but Momo's gone with full force for a tight squeeze.

 

It quickly becomes a little routine, and one neither of them seem to mind at all. Sousuke can't help but notice how much they've both perked up with their little mindless conversations to and from work. It's good to finally have someone else on the same sleep schedule.

"What are you wearing?" Sousuke asks in disbelief. He's parked outside Momo's place with the window rolled down, just staring at the man in front of him in all his elf costume glory.

Momo shrugs and walks around the the passenger side as if nothing is different.

"Excuse you. What are _you_ wearing? I thought you'd be making the rounds in a Santa hat at the very least."

"Not. On. My. Life."

"You are no _fun_ , Dr. Yamazaki. But fear not. I have prepared for this very moment!"

"...Are you kidding me."

"Nope! Here you go, Dr. Rudolph."

Momo pulls a pair of antlers on a headband and a bright red nose out of his bag like a magician, proudly offering them out to Sousuke.

"I hate you right now, you know that?"

"Well, lucky for you I think you're head's too big for these to fit on you in the car, but no excuses when you get to work, all right."

Sousuke says nothing but flicks Momo on the forehead and rolls his eyes, and they set off.

"Your Gran came home yesterday, yeah?"

"Yep. She's doing really well. I know she's old but... I don't want her to go at Christmas, you know?"

Sousuke nods. "I, uh, lost one of my kids last Christmas. That was rough. I thought he had a few more weeks, but..."

"It always seems worse when it's a kid, doesn't it? Like there's so much more that's been lost. They're not ready."

They both take a deep breath and laugh off the sad feeling in the car. Sousuke's already braced for the rush, and knows there'll be a time on the ward tonight when there's just him and Haru working.

"I'll see you at break, yeah?" Momo asks.

"Mm. Hopefully. Save me something if I'm late."

"I hope everything goes all right. And..." Momo steps in a little closer, checking down the corridor for anyone approaching, and holds his arms out for a hug. "Merry Christmas, since I'll miss you at midnight. And I want to see you in costume!"

 

Sousuke ends up _not_ getting a break after all and finds Momo in the canteen at a table a little after they should have left. He looks up at him, worried, but Sousuke offers a smile.

"Real busy," he explains. "But it's okay. Just kids and silly accidents, you know?"

"They're all supposed to be in bed, waiting for Santa."

"You'd hope, right? Come on, let's get you home. You look exhausted."

He coaxes Momo along with a hand on his back and they make it to the car, both flopping down into the leather.

"Ugh, can we just sleep here?"

"Don't be daft. It's cold," Sousuke scolds. "But, here... got you a little something."

"Really?"

"Just... uh.." Sousuke fumbles over Momo's lap into the glovebox for the little wrapped parcel.

"Can I open it now?"

"It's Christmas."

"Actually... why don't you come in? Everyone gets up early on Christmas anyway, and you live alone, right?"

Sousuke nods, even though he'll be going to his parents for dinner after a sleep and a shower.

"Uh. Your family won't mind?"

"No, no! It's _Christmas_!"

Sousuke laughs a little as he sets off, Momo chatting mindlessly next to him.

 

The house is large, with room for Sousuke's car on the driveway. Momo comes around to his side of the car, practically dragging him to the door by the wrist. Way too excited, but Sousuke finds it endearing.

"I'm home!" Momo calls into the house. "I brought a friend from work, this is Dr. Yamazaki, the one who drives me every day."

"Stop right there!" a loud, deep voice booms. "Look up."

Mistletoe. Really?

"Sei!" Momo whines. "I _just_ got home!"

There's a lot of laughter and Sousuke looks into the main family room, seeing what's presumably Momo's parents, his brother and sister, and Gran and Granddad. And a cat.

"Rules are rules, and then we'll let you sit down."

"Ugh!" Momo turns and looks up at Sousuke, rolling his eyes for dramatic effect as he gets on his toes to peck him on the cheek.

"That's cheating, but whatever," his sister sighs. "I'll get you both a drink."

Momo pushes Sousuke into her vacated seat on the end of the couch, perching on the arm next to him. Sousuke answers the usual round of questions, mostly about work and family, but the conversation with such a big family quickly filters into chatter. Momo quietly opens his gift next to him. He gasps.

"I love him!"

"Him?" Sousuke turns to him, and he's already stroking the little beetle plush Sousuke found in a store. It has a little cartoon face and an orange sprut of hair. "It reminded me of you, so..."

"I _love_ stag beetles! Thank you!"

"You're not just saying that, right?"

"Of course not! I had a pet one back in high school and everything!"

Momo's brother rolls his eyes in the armchair across. "Don't get him started on stag beetles. _Trust_ me."

Sousuke chuckles politely, but Momo makes a face.

There are snacks even though it's breakfast time and Momo helps himself, keeping a hand offered out to Sousuke, but he doesn't much fancy them, and the TV is on with the mandatory Christmas shows.

Sousuke's eyes feel heavy, but he's not surprised. It's been such a long day after all. And Momo agrees, with how he starts to slump against him, and Sousuke sees him struggling to stay awake. It's kinda cute. Endearing. If he's allowed to think that way about another grown man.

 

He slowly wakes up in the unfamiliar room because of pins and needles in his leg and tries to stretch, but then he realises what's causing the numbness. Momo's in his lap, flopped down from the arm of the chair with his legs out on the rest of the couch, and someone's put a blanket over the pair of them.

"Momo," he says groggily, voice croaking and thick with sleep. "Wake up. My leg's dead."

"Mm?" Momo shuffles against him as he stirs. "Oh... sorry," he mumbles, eyes still closed, and shifts to his other side, still leaning heavily on him.

His family have apparently moved through to the other room to let them sleep.

"I should probably head off. Thanks for the nap," Sousuke stretches, hooking his arm around Momo an rubbing his shoulder.

"Mm. You make a good pillow. I'll see you out?"

They stand up, Momo stumbling probably for dramatic effect and crashes into him in the doorway, rubbing his head on Sousuke's shoulder.

"Look up," he whispers.

"Mistletoe," Sousuke turns, and Momo's right up close to his face.

Neither of them acknowledge it when they both move closer. It just sort of... happens, and then their lips are touching. Sousuke moves a little but Momo's frozen, eyes scrunched up in concentration, and Sousuke smiles against him. He cups his cheek to pull him away.

"Merry Christmas, Momo," he whispers, and ducks in to kiss his forehead again. "I'll... pick you up tomorrow, yeah? I have tonight off."

"Oh," Momo gulps. "Right. Yeah. Me too. Um."

"Yes?"

"We're still under the mistletoe..."

Sousuke laughs and gives him another kiss. "Well, I hope I won't need this next time."


End file.
